Reflect

It has been hard to avoid the recent slew of media coverage on the dangers of drugs, from the untimely deaths of Presley Gerber and Hayden Panettiere, to children aged just 13 needing hospital treatment for ketamine-induced bladder and kidney problems, and Scotland tragically retaining its title as the drug death capital of Europe. It is the kind of news that hits hard, particularly for parents and caregivers who have seen their children into the new academic year at school, college or university, knowing their precious pre-teens, teenagers and young adults may well find themselves around drugs, whether at parties, in the park, or even in the playground.

It is an issue that teachers and other adults in the lives of young people are also acutely aware of. And with good reason. NHS research shows that 15% of 11 year olds have been offered drugs, rising to 44% by the time they are 15. There is some reassurance in the same data set showing that most choose not to: 6% of 11 year olds say they have ever taken a drug, rising to 23% of 15 year olds… but that’s still nearly a quarter who have before they have hung up their school uniform for the final time.

It is worth noting that the stats cited here refer to what most people would regard as “recreational” drugs such as cannabis, cocaine and volatile substances such as aerosols and solvents. Given that a drug is defined as a substance that changes someone’s brain chemistry and hence their functioning, nicotine and alcohol categorically fall into that classification. There is no denying the addictive nature of smoking and vaping, for example, and the alteration in the mental, physical and emotional state of someone who has had one too many drinks.

So what do the NHS stats say on these drugs? Despite the legal age of smoking and vaping being 18, over a tenth of 11-15 year olds say they have tried a cigarette at least once, and 7% of 15 year olds say they smoke regularly, with nearly a fifth saying they currently vape. It is a similar picture with alcohol: well over a third of 11-15 year olds say they have had a drink, and around a third of 15 year olds say they drink at least monthly.

This is a very tricky issue to parse for any adults in the lives of young people. Is it better to turn a blind eye to nicotine and alcohol as they feel so prevalent in today’s society? The flip side is that vaping, drinking alcohol and smoking are three of the top five characteristics associated with a young person having taken drugs in the last month (the other two being truanting and poor life satisfaction). Or is it better to take a hard line? Again there is a counter-argument: strict parenting can lead to internalised conflict and stress, which may manifest as rebellious behaviours such as drug use.

Perhaps a better approach is for parents and professionals to take a step away from the merry-go-round of worrying about what is right and what is wrong. Instead, take a breath, turn inwards some compassion and wisdom often offered so willingly to others, and build knowledge and skills, just as young people are encouraged to do. After all, informed decision making tends to be safer, and that can be literally life-saving when it comes to choices about drugs: basically, drug education isn’t just for kids.

Motivate

A barrier to talking about drugs can be concerns that doing so normalises drug use, and therefore gives permission to engage in such behaviours. The evidence shows this to not be the case, both in the classroom and at home: having open, non-judgemental conversations about drugs can prevent, delay onset of and reduce drug use, as well as lessen harms. For those uneasy about this, a useful comparison is sex education, which has not only slashed teenage pregnancy rates, but led to much more open dialogues about wider related issues such as consent and LGBTQ+ rights.

Leading drug education charity, the DSM Foundation, has been working with parents and educators as well as young people for over a decade, and has a good set of pointers to try and make conversations feel less awkward:

Harness your influence. As children move into the teenage years and beyond, they spend more time outside the home with people their own age, and they can appear to treat parents and teachers as increasingly irrelevant. Don’t fall for it. NHS research shows that 11-15 year olds are most likely to turn to their trusted adults as reliable sources of information about alcohol and drugs. And it makes sense to start early, as a 10-11 year old is likely to be more receptive.

Take and make opportunities. Chats can be planned (perhaps ahead of a party or festival), but additional opportunities may well arise, through the news or something that happens at school or college. Seize these moments!

Consider the where and when. This applies to adults as much as to teenagers. When feels natural and comfortable? It might be when doing an activity that isn’t face to face, such as gaming or cooking together, or during a car journey. Even in the classroom, chatting side by side can ease some of the intensity, whether in PSHE/PSE/PD or more informally, e.g. during form tutor time.

Be open and honest. Steer clear of judgements and catastrophising, but do voice concerns and share experiences (in an age-appropriate way), and make it safe for young people to do the same. Listen, stay calm, and be interested in any insights shared, making it a dialogue and not a monologue.

Remember that role modelling matters. Adults should be aware of their own drug use, and how this comes across. Does it convey messages about safe and moderate use, or could it come across as hypocritical “do as I say, not as I do”?

Discuss motivations. This can be really interesting to unpick if young people talk about their peers drinking or using drugs, and reveal underlying issues such as stress, social anxiety, depression, and pressure and coercion from others, as well as curiosity and experimentation. A few well-placed “why?” questions can provide useful food for thought.

Assert social norms. Despite the stats given in this piece, most young people don’t drink alcohol, use nicotine or take drugs and it is crucial that they know this. Not only does it help ease any pressure they may be feeling, but it also helps shape reasons why that is the case, from cost, concerns about harms, a desire to stay in control, to simply not wanting to.

Remember to chat little and often. This isn’t a one and done conversation. As young people grow, so do their worlds, and hence the situations they are in will change, and the chats they have with the important adults in their lives also need to shift.

Support

It can be very tempting to put questions about drugs into an AI tool, but these can be unreliable. For accurate information, look at sources that are kept up to date like Talk to Frank which not only describes effects and risks, but also has a search function that works for (many) street and slang names. Tooled Up also has a series of Quick Guides on different drugs created with the DSM Foundation specifically for parents, and the drug education charity also has a suite of resources for young people.

Keep in mind that an adult saying when they don’t know something, and showing how and where to look it up, is really powerful role modelling for young people. It also helps them develop a delaying tactic through saying, “I just want to check something”, which can buy valuable time in a pressured situation to work out what feels right and then act in a more reasoned way.

There is more in depth information (again that is well maintained) available from Drug Science and Crew 2000, and both of these also feature harm reduction advice. An important point to stress is that many drugs are either totally illegal, or produced outside the law, and this means that their contents are highly unpredictable. UK drug checking service The Loop publishes alerts that underscore this point, and WEDINOS issues monthly summaries of its drug analysis results that include emerging trends.

Some practical steps that support safety, not just for drugs, but more broadly, involve the device that is welded to many teenagers’ hands: their mobile phone. Putting these in place is reassuring on both sides, even if some are never used. Activate location services so they can always be picked up if needed without having to work out an address. Set up emergency contacts so the details can be accessed even when the phone is locked. Consider agreeing a code (a particular emoji or a single letter such as an X) that a young person can send to you or another carer to help them get out of an uncomfortable or sketchy situation. The adult on the receiving end simply phones and says they need their child to return home, so they can leave without losing face. Having a first aid app can also be a sensible idea.

Finally, there may be situations when expert help is needed, and local services can be found from organisations such as WithYou and CGL, who also provide information and support for those worried about others. And this is a really important final point: there is no shame in asking for help. This is a message all young people need to know, but adults too. Everyone makes mistakes, but few are insurmountable, and there is a lot out there that can make a real difference. Everything gets better when conversations happen.